The area around Watertown was first settled by Captain William Thompson of North Carolina in 1780. He built a fort in the area to protect settlers and provide a safe haven for travelers on the nearby Holstein Trail.

After Thompson left, the land became a revolutionary war grant given to Colonel Archibald Lytle, who received 1,000 acres, and his brother, Captain William Lytle, who received 500 acres.

The grandparents of Wilson L. Waters, the founder of Watertown, moved into the Round Lick Creek area around 1790. In 1844, Waters and his wife built a log cabin where they lived until their final home was built. The cabin no longer remains, but the house (pictured here) is still standing and has been extensively restored.

Watertown has been a family town since its beginnings when the post office was moved from Three Forks to Waters store in 1845. Waters established a sawmill, gristmill and blacksmith shop in 1857 and was appointed as the first postmaster in 1858. Waters' 400-acre farm became Watertown.

The village remained rather sleepy until the Nashville and Knoxville Railroad came in 1885. After this the village more than doubled in size. The depot in Watertown was the unloading place for surrounding towns.

But it was a devastating fire in 1903 that truly transformed Watertown from a small village to a bustling city. Most of the businesses in Watertown were constructed of wood, and there was no town square. After the fire, citizens laid off a square that was surrounded by mostly one-story brick buildings that remain to this day.

Today, according to Historic Watertown, a group formed to preserve the history of Watertown, all the buildings in the business district are historic buildings. The sidewalks around the square have been replaced, and lampposts fashioned in an early 20th-century style have been installed.

Watertown is a city in Wilson County, in the Nashville-Davidson metro area.The community was named for storekeeper, Wilson L. Waters.The latitude of Watertown is 36.100N. The longitude is -86.131W.It is in the Central Standard time zone. Elevation is 653 feet.The estimated population, in 2003, was 1358.

INCOME SNAPSHOT

Median household incomeLocal $35,662National $41,994

PROPERTY TAXES

Wilson County taxes are $2.48 per every $100 of asessed value.Watertown City taxes are $0.75 per every $100 of assessed value.

2000 CENSUS DATA

POPULATIONTotal population 1,358Square miles (land) 1.25Population per square mile 1,083.94

RENTER-OCCUPIED HOUSING UNITSRenter-occupied housing units 153Average number of household members 2.50Average number of rooms 4.73Average number of vehicles 1.32Median year structure was built 1960Median year householder moved in 1998Median rent ($) 375Median rent asked for vacant units ($) 417Rent includes utilities 39Rent as a pct of household revenue 22OWNER-OCCUPIED HOUSING UNITSOwner-occupied housing units 389Average number of household members 2.49Average number of rooms 6.08Average number of vehicles 1.53Median year structure was built 1958Median year householder moved in 1988Median value$73,500With mortgage or contract to purchase 181With second mortgage, equity loan 36Median price asked for vacant housing $70,000Monthly cost, with mortgage$729Monthly cost, without mortgage $ 227